Convertible car.



R. W. BURNETT.

CONVERTIBLE CAR.

APPLlATloN flu-:D JULY 26. 191s..

Patented 0615.111916.

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CONVERTIBLE CAR.

APPLlcAloN FILED Jup/26.1913.

1,201,690. V Patented 0015.17; 1916.'

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Specication of Letters Patent;

Continuation in part of applicationv Serial No. 671,144, filed' January 15, 1912. This application filed .Tuly

26,1913. Serial No. 781,349.

To allfwhom t may concern:

Beit known that I, RICHARD WEBB BUR-V capable of being dumped and it has for itsv object to simplify the construction of convertible cars of this type. l

My invention relates particularly to the type vof convertible car having a floor made up of displaceable members serving in one position as a horizontal flush floor and in another position as floors of a series of dis tinct hoppers.

The invention consists of means for supporting the floor members in horizontal position and means for supporting them in position constituting the hopper' bottoms; the means for supporting them in horizontal position including devices serving as doors for controlling the discharge from the hoppers presented when the lloor members are lowered; and the invention further consists of means located at the hinge-sides of the floor members and adapted to at `all times bear or 'rub against a fixed part of the 'car` frame for `preventing leakage throughthe hinge of each Hoor member and for cushioning the fall of the floor member when dropped from the horizontal to the hopper bottom position. D

For full comprehension, however, of my invention reference must be had to the *accom- Fig. l and Fig` 5l is a vertical sectional view taken on line C C Fig. 4. Fig. G is an enl larged detail vertical sectional view illustrating the relative positions of the door and of any preferred construction presenting flanges CZ ateacli side of the floor openings? and fianges c and f respectively at the ends of such openings, all these flanges extending inwardly relatively to their respective openings anol being constructed and arranged to act as abutments limiting upward movement .of the Hoormembers.

The floor members, indicated at g, are hinged upon brackets 71. secured to the underframe near the Flange f and the side edges thereof are offset downwardly Yas atfz', while 'the main length of each member is straight to avoid presenting an obstacle to retard the flow of thelading as' it is being discharged, the width ofthe offsets i being equal to the width of the anges Z for the purpose' of presenting a flush floor, the object of this particular construction being to prevent the floor members being swung above horizontal'position and toV provide a grain tight flush floor.

The means for supporting -the Hoor members in position constituting the hopper bottoms consists of diagonal angle iron sills Z carried by webs 7c forming the side walls of the hoppers.

The means for supporting the floor members in horizontal position consists of slide bolts and doors m. The bolts are guided in cases s secured to the underframe of the car 'and the corners of the doors are cut away or notched to accommodate these cases which are adaptedto actas closures for such notches when the doors are closed. The doors mfcontrol the discharge from the hoppers when the Hoor members are in hopper bottom position and act as supports for such floor members when in horizontal position.

Each of these doors consists of a steel plate having its lower edge curved tosubstantially tubular form for the purpose of hiiiging the same -upon a hingerod n the ends of 'which are journaled in the 'side walls 7c of the hop pers,` the tubular portion also acting as a stiifene'rfor the plate. To present a seatfor the free edge of its respective floor member when' in horizontal position',` veach f door is offset fas at w in close proximity to its upper edge as indicated in Fig. 6, the upper edge of the door projecting slightly above the ratenteaoce raisin' floor memberl to engage the same when in this position, thus insuring that the door will be located with the shoulder formed by the offset in position to serve as a seat to sustain the edge of the Hoor member. These doors are clamped in closed position by bars o provided with presser-feet j) adapted to engage each door immediately beneath the offset therein. The bars o are operated by handles c and when the doors are forced into position to support of the floor-members in horizontal floor position they supplement the bolts p and prevent the sagging of the doors between the bolts. In this manner the floor-members are fully supported at all sides without the necessity of using extra heavy doors, as the bolts relieve them of considerable load.

To provide means for preventing leakage of the lading through the hinges of the floor members and for cushioning the fall thereof when dropping from horizontal to hopperbottom position the body plate of each member is extended in apron-like form as at e and bent to a very slight angle and inserted beneath thefiange f thus causing it to bear or rub upon this flange. The effect is that when the floor-members are lowered the apron-like part is sprung and offers the necessary yielding resistance to cushion the fall. What I claimvis as follows:- l. In a convertible car the combination with a floor thereof having an opening therein and a pair of parallel hopper walls extending downwardly from the sides of the opening, of a hinged displaceable floor member forming in one position a part of the said floor and in another position a hopper floor, of means for supporting the said Hoor member in hopper-floor position and means for cushioning the fall of the floor member when dropping from the horizontal to the inclined position and for preventing leakage of the 1ading through the hinge of the floor mem- 2. In a convertible car having a floor with an opening therein and parallel hopper walls extending downwardly from the sides of the opening, a flange secured to one side of the said opening, a hinged displaceable floor member forming in one position a part of the said floor and in another position a hopper Hoor and an apron-like extension on the said floor member adapted to engage the said flange for cushioning the fall of the floor member when moving from the horizontal to the inclined position and preventing leakage of lading through the hinge.

3. In a car the combination with a downwardly movable normally horizontal hinged licor-member, the pivot of the hinge of said floor member being located in a fixed position, said floor member serving as the floor of a discharge chute when lowered, a hinged member serving as an extension of the chute, and means supporting the floor-member independently of the said last mentioned member.

l. In a car the combination with a downwardly movable normally horizontal hinged Hoor-member, the pivot of the hinge of said ioor member being located in a fixed position, said floor member serving as the floor of a discharge chute when lowered, a door hinged adjacent to the forward end of the door-.member when in'its lowermost position and serving as anr extension of the chute, and means supporting the floor-member independently of the said last mentioned member.

5; A convertible car comprising the parts of a horizontal bottom car and hoppers beneath the level of such horizontal bottom, having displaceable floor members forming in one position a horizontal floor, and in another position floors for the hoppers, and means controlling the discharge from the hoppers and supporting the floor members in horizontal position and independent means for supporting the Hoor members in hopper floor position.

6. A convertible car comprising the parts of a horizontal-bottom car and hoppers beneath the level of such horizontal bottom having displaceable Hoor-members forming in one position a horizontal floor and in another position floors for the hoppers and doors hinged at the lower ends of the hoppers and controlling the discharge from the hoppers and supporting the Alicor-members in horizontal position.

7 A convertible car comprising the parts of a horizontal bottom car and hoppers beneath the level of such horizontal bottom, having displaceable floor-members forming in one position a horizontal floor and in another position floors for the hoppers, and manually operated strut-doors hinged at the lower ends of the hoppers and supporting the floor members in horizontal position, and means mounted independently of and for locking the strut-doors in Hoor-supporting position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD WEBB BURNETT.

Witnesses:

GORDON G. COOKE, WILLIAn J. C. HEwETsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

